Because of the rising cost of insulin, some diabetes patients are turning to DIY insulin as a solution. This has become known as DIY insulin movement.
This movement highlights the need for affordable and accessible healthcare while challenging pharmaceutical industry monopoly of high-priced medications, and giving patients autonomy from bioethical standpoint.
What is biohacking?
Biohacking is a health trend involving the experimentation with food, technology, and exercise to enhance overall wellness. People may use biohacking techniques to feel more energized, sleep better, increase cognitive function, or reverse aging altogether; others employ it in weight loss or strength gain programs or managing chronic conditions like diabetes. While biohacking practices may not always adhere to scientific findings or lab research studies; some biohackers have taken to subverting Big Pharma through political actions involving biohacking practices as a countersovereign anti-Big-Pharma tactics!
Biohacking encompasses various techniques, such as nutrigenomics, DIY biology and the Grinder Diet. Nutrigenomics examines how foods relate to individual genetic makeup in order to find their individualized macronutrient profile – meaning eating enough carbs, proteins and fat.
Wearable devices and monitoring tools have become a popular biohack for tracking physical activity, heart rate, blood sugar levels or cognitive performance – an approach known as the “quantified self.” Some individuals also utilize brain wave feedback to enhance cognitive function as well as improve focus and emotional resilience.
Biohackers also aim to take control of their own health by building laboratory equipment and cultivating bacteria, algae, or other cells to produce insulin. The non-profit Open Insulin Foundation has been making strides in creating an open source insulin production model with workshops and lectures held across the United States in promotion of this concept. People suffering from diabetes rely heavily on insulin so ensuring a sustainable supply is key.
These projects may not be suitable for everyone; they often involve complex experiments that are difficult to replicate at home and can even be potentially dangerous if done incorrectly. People with diabetes who attempt to produce their own insulin should work alongside a qualified health professional so as to not put themselves at risk.
As more people embrace the idea of self-experimentation as a means to improving their health, it’s essential to remember that not all biohacks are equal. You should select one best suited to your goals and monitor it against pre and post biohack metrics to make sure that it actually achieves desired outcomes.
Why are biohackers making their own insulin?
Insulin is an indispensable life-saving medication used to control blood sugar levels. While traditional methods involve needle injection or pump administration, biohacking offers another solution. Many individuals living with diabetes have turned to biohacking in order to produce their own insulin using DIY techniques.
The biohacking movement is a potency social force, altering our conception of scientific innovation. Instead of adhering to the traditional model of science communication in which scientists provide knowledge to an unengaged public who passively receive it, biohackers are creating real change by altering our perspective of where and how science happens – from designing coronavirus tests and building equipment with everyday items to producing open source insulin production – altering perceptions about where scientific innovation occurs.
Biohacking has political implications as well. By engaging in such acts of biohacking as activism, they may provide an alternative to the high costs imposed by pharmaceutical companies while simultaneously becoming more aware of pharmacological development processes and taking control over their health.
Biohacking revolutionizes medicine and gives power back to those previously denied a voice in their treatment decisions. This aligns with Beauchamp and Childress’ principles of distributive justice which state: “distributive justice means allocating all rights and responsibilities evenly within society.”
Biohackers are creating their own insulin by inserting human insulin genes into bacteria to produce hormones; this method can be done at home with kits available online; however, this approach raises serious ethical and legal considerations that pose a challenge to its implementation. Nonetheless, biohackers continue to pursue their dream of producing homemade insulin.
At its heart, biohacking movement advocates believe they have a right to access lifesaving drugs regardless of cost, seeing its negative repercussions for those already financially burdened. Therefore, we should recognize and support its growth to ensure all patients can access healthcare they require.
Challenges of biohacking insulin
Insulin is a hormone that converts sugar to energy, and those living with Type 1 diabetes need it injected subcutaneously every day in order to stay alive. Insulin was first isolated from pigs and cattle more than ninety years ago but only three pharmaceutical companies produce it today, selling vials for $180 to $400 each.
Biohackers have taken matters into their own hands in response to insulin’s skyrocketing price, working to reverse engineer its production so it becomes available for anyone, not just high income patients. One such initiative, The Open Insulin Project started by a San Francisco type 1 diabetic in 2015 is one example. Their team genetically engineered yeast cells to produce precursor insulin precursor and now intends to try engineering bacteria capable of making human insulin. If successful, their goal is to publish a DIY guide so people can start producing their own at home.
Before this can become reality, however, they will have to overcome numerous hurdles. The first is likely the insulin industry itself which has an interest in keeping prices high; they will also need to get past the Food and Drug Administration in order to get their homemade insulin approved for human use.
Another hurdle for biohacking involves access to appropriate tools. Biohackers frequently meet in community labs, which offer cheaper equipment than you’d find at universities or industrial facilities, yet these labs may be difficult to regulate and manage due to being sometimes illegal and their gear often being subpar.
Biohackers may possess extensive DNA manipulation expertise, yet lack experience when it comes to medical research or pharmacology. Therefore, working together with established institutions is vital in order to establish new, mutually beneficial relationships and break through this obstacle.
Biohacking‘s success depends on its ability to forge relationships based on mutual respect rather than direct control, between amateur tinkerers and professionals from fields like medicine and law.
Solution
Due to insulin prices skyrocketing, many are seeking alternate methods of managing their diabetes. One such strategy involves creating their own insulin by inserting human insulin genes into bacterial DNA using kits readily available online; the result of such efforts being cheap yet effective homemade insulin treatments.
Biohackers are using recombinant DNA technology to produce insulin on their own, cutting and splicing DNA from multiple sources to form new sequences that allow people to produce different proteins – including insulin. Furthermore, its cost is lower than traditional methods.
Biohackers continue to find innovative solutions to make insulin on their own, spreading knowledge and expertise to enable others to take control of their own healthcare decisions. By following safety precautions properly and adhering to guidelines set by authorities, biohackers play a vital role in making healthcare more affordable for everyone.
Biohackers are taking matters into their own hands as they believe pharmaceutical or insurance companies are shirk their responsibilities by not providing the medications needed to live a full and normal life. By engaging in biohacking activism to create change within healthcare system; and challenging norms of medicine by showing patients can fight back for themselves while demanding greater autonomy over treatment decisions, biohackers are using biohacking activism for personal gain and to promote change within medical systems.
Biohacking activism raises many ethical concerns for DIY biology enthusiasts. In this essay, I will first investigate the ethical repercussions of insulin and EpiPen biohacking as forms of activism against high-cost medicines and pharmaceutical monopolies, then compare Beauchamp and Childress’ four principles of bioethical decision-making with such activities, to ascertain both benefits and risks involved. Finally, this essay will touch upon medical autonomy: how synthesising your own insulin and EpiPens can provide biohackers with a sense of independence not previously felt before.
